Metallic fastener for envelopes



Oct. 31, w E L- METALLIC FASTENER FOR ENVELOPES Filed April 24, 1931 Patented Oct. 31, 1933 METAL] "cji-fi ss rmm tjr n v'tgogpis Willard E. Svtift,-.Worcester,:Mass;,jasgignur-tg-Q --United States EnvelopevCommL' .,Mass., at eorporation ot-Mninew 1 r L'Ihe mvention relatesto fasteners for atte'ch ment to envelopes. The f esteners are of the type in; which=a pa.i1 y of benqable tongues are pro-tvidec'l for insertion through a. suitable opening in 5 the flap; 0? the envelope. and are adapted to spread apart afteriinsertion through the open.-

ing, thereby to sealithe' fla p. in closed. position.

The metallic tongues Q f fgsteners'of-this type are usuallyformed; integrally .withe metallic base portion that provides means f or the attachment 'of the fastenerr to the rear walluoithe envelope.

Such. fasteningv means have heretofore [consisted .of a plurality of single spurs located along the outside edge .of the bese portion, or, in other cases,

.a plurality oispursradiate from a single Central opening formedinthe base plate. t 1 c ,Fasteners oflthe ehoveend similar, typesjhave been 'prodncedand used in tremendouslquantities;

it has been found that when the'tonguesare bent upwardly veryrapidly in attempt to secure the envelope flap quiek1y,, .the whole fastener 'is liable to become detached or torn out of the envelope. In the case of fasteners providedjwith v a plurality oi single spurs spaced around theedge oi the base portibng laoh spuiholds huta smal areaof paperiandvmay thereiorereadily be torn zoute In theoc'ase of festenerspmllided with} 91 tr'alityw .of spursj radiating from a;' single hole; it .iwill. befseenthat ,owi ig t0 th location of Y allthe attaching means Within; aj ma1 areaithe pa er, is

unable to withstand the, j excessive leyerage parted y the bending pgt e tongues there- 'fore is .readily'totn; V t v Accordin to he pre nt i v nt n' hg,t stene is: ov d: w th "ai ll re t O S p a tfiflqh- "i m nfi li'igh are ie rap e i hgb sa fibe e n; vi s a p ra ive y il r l 'm i [a e l an w i h at l v i m tl l fi. e a f 1 bstantial distances glp eiflt s o thet 'ftheattaching 40 means esumbiem r vcn fe s i leverage on :the paper which would teer'the fastel r h Pe e; I, n'thi ic nstru tiq ren eme of th ias i jn mfeeejis' h at h a e o t basenq t nti ing i nc' ees d n kin ,h 'r ca eti dfi f es dw hqu dim n sh n th 1 lam in area Q he e min m ansthereby 1 p nev f sfi n rf vi th ie oy g dvana s w th ufi t c s gen ddit qn l m terial. r the .edve tae i w i' or i uil' ian ea jfio t e llw'iined e rip ontaken.injc n ti n'w th 'j l a tq' a ine.,dtew giin whi h ri; I Fig. l is 9L plan 'eWj of'jagpprtionbt'fanf envel peg h w n e noyel i stenex. npo l l nthereon withthe'sealing fl ap 'in open position.

i Fig.2 isja. er6 srsectibnal viewfqntheglin 'r, g "t 351 3. .is enlarged; plain view of 8.158 constructedaeording tothe invention. jF ig Aisn erossfsectionellviewpngthel v [FilgLS isiajfew ofthef'l'nsideof pifportlon'o envelope showingthe attaching" prongs;

' Like reference characters refer 1:011 likeiparts 1 9 81 ?t ,A mi ting v i II i 9 Referring irst to. Figsjil nd 2, finenvelbpflb in connection "'witnwhidh iesjteners ofgenlm1 type'are usually. emmoyed, ;bmer1;es; l Ifnbl f ot .a r rwa mmms b Bi 3, which overlap eechlothenlas .hereffslibwn the 7 flaIpB is. outermost Metallic fastenerslalfe ulsfqY- ny;aptachemfasqshbwn, t0 the rent Wall in'th'e overla'p'pmg portion of the fla'lps f toseeufe "both naps tqgecner. HThQeenvelope also myigies p .1'ront,wa1l 4, havingfa elosurelflab 'fint'th upper endth'ei eof; saidclosurefflap'lnrqtiidesa. r irifforced opening I 6. through wmen'tne; ton ues $61. the fastener are inserted ,mgo'rden, to. seal the; env vlelope'. I 1.,

' Referring. ow; 176.155; 1 to 4, inelu'sivegthe ,fastenerfiofjthe invention isj formedj'from" sheet finetal, and comprises ajpair of .tonglies El extendingjro'm oppositelsides of; a .cer1',tral'- body bofrtion 10.; l.The tongues '77 lend..8' aie pffrebly pf erent lengths tolper nit really "snre'iidinglqf the tongues securing the'flapof .a'nfeniielope In The 'bodyfportion' 10 inthe form of the 111- vention shown comprises a. pair of substantielly triangularv portions 1'1 a.nd. 12 integralwithhnd eitendingflon opposite "Sides of theftohglie [and ,8; theapexes; of the triangles. being located subistanmalm m me center; line lot thejtongue'si'l lend 8,1 and pbrr s onamg sides "or opnositeftri- ,1 angms; extending" substantially. along" shine Llinell Eachtriang'ulagnportion o'fflthe base 110 is provided with aiffpair of, attaching prongs .7 13 which are integriiliwith the fastene and? are formed byjfbieing a dil thrb'ugh t e m fial 0f the fastener; to said said.pr6ngs.si1b'stentia11y '1-,; right ,angles'i to I theibase'l (with the .line' of attchmelit Of bfiChOflthqprdh'gs 13150.,th1ha's e {extending on. al'linei substantially pere'lleljwith the corresponding I converging side of one 'jo t V the ftiiangnlnrportions. "Eajchjfofv the pz ongs". 1315 jgenerally triangula'nin' shap'e'end is to'rmegigfrom x Tthebaseas the diefpasses- ,thxough said basefliseid die provides intersecting 'slit'sii'm andlfilfdreech are'perelleli to the center line'ot the tongue; end v base to the web" 16; The materialbetween the lines of attachment of the prongs and the edgesof the triangular portions provide diagonally extending webs 18, extending outwardly from the '7 center of the base portion substantially; midway between the webs 1'7 and the tongues," and the outer ends of the webs are integral withthe ends of the webs l6. Each of the prongs 13, which is attached integrally along one longitudinal edge over against said web when the fastener is secured to the envelope, and the web is accordingly preferably atleast as.wide as the length, ofthe prong" to provide a clamping surface for the entire. area of the prong. V This arrangement," by reason of thestructure of thejprongs providesa relatively. large clampingarea for each: prong. A curved edge 20 connects each'conver'gingedge of thetriangular portionswith the corresponding edge of the tongue .to' avoid extreme localiza tion .01 the bending action between the' tongue and the base." l. ,l

The baseportion accordingly comprises a plurality; of webs 1'Tand18 extending radially from the center of 'the base on opposite side'sof the center line of the tongues'h'l and 8, the. webs on opposite sides belngjj integrally connected together attheir outer end by'webs 16. The material between'the webs provides attaching, prongs, each of whichis integrally attached toone longitudinal edge of one of the webs, said web being at leastas wide asthe length er the prong. l'from a consideration ofFlgs. 3 and 4fitwill be seen that the lines of attachment, of two of the prongs is at right anglesto the line of attachment '01 the other two, and that each line 01 attachment extends diagonally to the center line of th'e tongues; that is, ona line oblique to said center .line'. By'such arrangement of the tongues, "'a

gwider prong may be provided in abase of a given size than would be provided by forming the prong parallel to or perpendicular to. the center lineof "the tongues. Furthermore such formationpermits the clamping areas to be located a substantial distance from the center of the base, where- 'by.a secure attachment to "the envelope is ob- The prongs in .the' positional? Flgs$3 "and 4 are readily inserted through the overlappinglportion of the ham 2"and3, after-which :theyare bent against the innerside, of the envelope and the material of the envelopeis clamped between I, said prong and thewebs 18,'t o provide a secure clamping action. i As. the diagonally opposite prongs are bent in opposite directions, as shown in Fi 5,.the fastener is securel held a ainst g y g .or the like, comprising a base portion for attachment to an envelope wall, said base portion pro- .viding integral tongues for insertion through an opening in the envelope flap, a plurality of prongs rocking mov'ementin any direction.

' In the usual envelope. construction, the grain or fiberof "the paperrunsin'a direction substantially perpendicular'tothe opening; in the construction of Fig. 1,1perpendicular to the center line of tongues 7 and 8. It will be apparent that the prongs 13' are insertedv through the envelope flapsg'andfi on lines transverse or oblique to the direction of'the fibers, thereby providing a securely attached fastener, since,"byreascn of this Itransverseattachment', there is less 'tendency to split the paper along the grain when'the paper Iprong.

the flap opening with very little possibility of the fastener pulling out of the paper. Moreover, by theparticular arrangement of prongs in the present fastener certain of the prongs 13 will always extend transverse or oblique to the direction of the grain of the paper, Whatever the direction of the grain, when the paper has been formed into anen'velope.

I'claim, V

1'.- A metallic fastener for envelopes comprising a base'portion for'attachment to an envelope wall,

said base portion providing a pair of laterally and oppositely projecting integral tongues adapted" for insertion through an opening of the envelope flap, said base member having a plurality of radialwebs' extending from the center thereof oneach side'o'f the tongues, a portion of the material between certain of said webs being bent at'right angles to the plane of the base to form prongs',, ea'ch of the latter being'integrally con-- nected to a radial edgeof one of the webs, the radialweb's on opposite sides of the tongues bein connected at their outer edges.

A metallic fastener for envelopes comprising a base portion for attachment toan envelope wall,

said base portion providing a pair of laterally and oppositely projecting integral tongues adapted for dial webs extending out from the central portion of the base on each side of the center line of the tongues, certain of the material between said webs being bent to form triangular prongs, each prong being integrally connected to a longitudinal radial edge of one of said webs, the webs to which said prongs are integrally connected being substantially "equal in width to the length of the 3. A metallic fastener for envelopes comprising a. base portion for attachment to an envelope wall, said baseiportion providing a pair of laterally and oppositely projecting integral tongues adapted "for insertion through an opening ofthe envelope flap, a plurality of triangular prongs integrally formed from the material of the base portion, the

line of attachment foreach'. prong being radial with" reference to the center of the base portion,

-said prongs being formed by intersecting slits at i right angles, said slits extending parallel and perpendicular to said tongues, the material bearrangedto be clamped, being substantially equal in widthtothe length of said prong.

4. A metallic fastener for envelopes of paper the remaining prongs, whereby, when said fastener' is attached to the envelope, certain of the prongs will be projected through the material of intersecting slits in said base portion substantially at right angles to each other, with the material between said slits bent out of the plane of the base to form said prong, the lines of attachment' of the prongs to the base portion being radial with reference to the center of the base portion.

WILLARD E. SWIFT. 

